Mini deep fat fryer recommendations

JackieChang

I got the Lidl Mini fryer last week, for 20 euro.

It fries stuff OK, but I already hate it. You cannot take the container out to clean it. Just spent half an hour cleaning it and the kitchen got destroyed in grease. Like how the hell are you supposed to clean the inside of it?

The manual says "use a cloth and detergent to clean inside the container". Great, now the whole thing smells of fairy liquid instead of chicken nuggets. How they hell do I rinse the chemicals out of the container if the bloody thing doesn't come out?

I don't need a massive family deep fryer, just a single portion one, about 1 litre oil capacity. Like the mini Lidl one, but it has to be easy to clean.

Any recommendations?

Or, if anybody here has that little Lidl fryer - how do you clean it?

I know you don't have to change oil all the time, but I want to cook some falafels and the oil was smelling like chicken nuggets and chips.

igCorcaigh

That's odd.

The specs say:

Removable lid with window and grease filter
Non-stick coated oil container and basket suitable for dishwashers
Frying basket with detachable handle

If the container and basket are suitable for dishwashers, then they must be removable?

Does removing the lid help?

JackieChang

igCorcaigh wrote: »

Non-stick coated oil container and basket suitable for dishwashers

Where does it say that?

It certainly is not removable, I wish it was.

The model I got is in the leaflet here: https://www.lidl.ie/leaflet/thur-11th-wed-17th-february-2021-ie/view/flyer/page/20

drunkmonkey

I'd recommend a Tefal Oleoclean, very easy clean and store away the oil. Made buttermilk fried chicken for lunch and turned out perfect.

igCorcaigh

JackieChang wrote: »

Where does it say that?

It certainly is not removable, I wish it was.

The model I got is in the leaflet here: https://www.lidl.ie/leaflet/thur-11th-wed-17th-february-2021-ie/view/flyer/page/20

That spec I copied from the Lidl app.

con747

JackieChang wrote: »

I got the Lidl Mini fryer last week, for 20 euro.

It fries stuff OK, but I already hate it. You cannot take the container out to clean it. Just spent half an hour cleaning it and the kitchen got destroyed in grease. Like how the hell are you supposed to clean the inside of it?

The manual says "use a cloth and detergent to clean inside the container". Great, now the whole thing smells of fairy liquid instead of chicken nuggets. How they hell do I rinse the chemicals out of the container if the bloody thing doesn't come out?

I don't need a massive family deep fryer, just a single portion one, about 1 litre oil capacity. Like the mini Lidl one, but it has to be easy to clean.

Any recommendations?

Or, if anybody here has that little Lidl fryer - how do you clean it?

I know you don't have to change oil all the time, but I want to cook some falafels and the oil was smelling like chicken nuggets and chips.

I use one similar to this. https://www.currys.ie/ieen/household-appliances/small-kitchen-appliances/small-cooking-appliances/fryers/logik-l30pfs12-professional-deep-fryer-stainless-steel-12002409-pdt.html Cheap and cheerful and easy to empty and clean. Just buy a funnel to pour the oil into a container when changing it.

Tree

I have a tiny tefal one, same as the lidl one, takes about 1 of oil. Hard to empty, fiddly to clean, basket can be dishwashered but like, still. I don't want to leave it full of oil so instead I'm using a small pot and a thermometer.

The oleoclean compact looks good but still twice as big as I want...

Like, you have to deepfry onion rings or falafels to do them properly

Muahahaha

It seems the cheap ones for 20 euro or so all have to be flipped upside down to pour the oil out. I think you've to spend a bit more to get something with a spout to make emptying it a lot easier.

The Tefal Oleoclean mentioned looks great as it has a filtration system that stores the oil. I think a carbon filter in the lid is another feature Id want as fried oil can leave residue on kitchen walls and end up stinking the place out over time. Though that Tefal at £99 is a fair bit more expensive than your 20 euro Lidl/Aldi ones so its horses for courses really. Keepa tells me it does drop to £80 every few months so theres a bit of a saving if you're not in a hurry.

Maybe OP look through the reviews and questions and answers sections of a few different fryers on Amazon. Usually if there is design flaws or annoying features you'll learn about it there before committing to buy.

con747

I don't understand why people find it hard to pick up the oil container of a deep fat fryer and pour it into a suitable recycling container and then just hand clean the basket and oil container of the fryer, it takes about 20-30 minutes at most. If you have no funnel just form one out of tin foil.

Tree

It takes me moments to deal with a pot full of oil, the deep fryer is very unwieldy and doesnt go in the dishwasher. If i'm deepfrying, it's not so i can spend more time cleaning than I did cooking and eating.

con747

The only part of a deep fat fryer that cannot be put in a dishwasher is the element which is attached to the plug so that is a no no obviously. How harder is it to pour oil from a round pot or a rectangular pot which is the shape of most deep fat fryers. If anything a rectangular fryer has four corners to pour from. I use the oil in a deep fat fryer for 2 or 3 months if it has little use or less if something is cooked in it that ruins the oil. I hand wash mine and it takes less than 30 minutes in total at worst after 2 or 3 months of nice crispy food.

Tree

The small fryers have the inner container welded to the outside, so no, i can't put it in the dishwasher cause it contains all the electrics. Bigger fryers, yeah, you can get the frying pot out, but not in the 20 quid ones, and none of them say that on the box before you buy them.

con747

The one I posted a link to above is a cheap €20 fryer and I have bought numerous cheap ones over the years and top of the range ones also. The oil container on the one above and any others I have bought all could be removed and were not "welded" to the main body.That is going off topic now so I will leave it there. Not trying to argue.:)

wandererz

We got a Domo brand one just before Xmas. Was lucky enough to get it via prime delivery from the UK before Brexit and customs duties etc hit.

Everything is removable - including heating element & oil pain.
Works perfectly.

Here's a link to the German site:
https://www.amazon.de/dp/B011RF7Q9Y/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_GH7TTXR0JGFVTEYMYR59